1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-conditioning register and particularly to an air-conditioning register which makes an air-conditioning duct communicate with a compartment for adjusting the wind direction of conditioned air, the flow rate of conditioned air, etc.
2. Related Art
An air-conditioning register is a device by which conditioned air temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled by an air conditioner is supplied into a compartment. For example, an air-conditioning register having common operation portions capable of operating a vertical fin unit and a horizontal fin unit has been shown in Patent Document 2. FIG. 34 is a rear view of the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2. As shown in FIG. 34, the air-conditioning register 100 includes a retainer 101, a vertical fin unit 102, a horizontal fin unit 103, and common operation portions 104. The retainer 101 is tubular. An opening 105 is formed at an end of the retainer 101 in a direction of the compartment (backward direction). The retainer 101 is separated into left and right parts by a partition wall 106. The vertical fin unit 102 includes four vertical fins disposed on the left side of the partition wall 106, and four vertical fins disposed on the right side of the partition wall 106, that is, eight vertical fins in total. The four vertical fins 102 on each side of the partition wall 106 are connected to one another by a vertical fin connection rod 107. The horizontal fin unit 103 includes four horizontal fins disposed on the left side of the partition wall 106, and four horizontal fins disposed on the right side of the partition wall 106, that is, eight horizontal fins in total. The four horizontal fins 103 on each side of the partition wall 106 are connected to one another by a horizontal fin connection rod 108. The common operation portions 104 are disposed at left and right corners of the retainer 101. The common operation portions 104 are provided so as to protrude toward the compartment.
When, for example, a passenger moves up/down the common operation portion 104 on the right side of the partition wall 106, the four horizontal fins 103 connected by the horizontal fin connection rod 108 swing up/down. The wind direction of conditioned air can be adjusted in an up/down direction by this swinging.
Similarly, when a passenger moves left/right the common operation portion 104 on the right side of the partition wall 106, the four vertical fins 102 connected by the vertical fin connection rod 107 swing left/right. The wind direction of conditioned air can be adjusted in a left/right direction by this swinging.
(Patent Document 1)
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-318439 (pp. 3-4, FIG. 1)
(Patent Document 2)
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2220/1990 (pp. 4-7, FIGS. 1 and 2)
(Patent Document 3)
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 20949/1992
Incidentally, an open/close damper is disposed in the air-conditioning register 100. The open/close damper is a member for opening/closing an air passage of conditioned air to thereby open/close a flow of the conditioned air. According to the air-conditioning register 100 described in Patent Document 2, nothing but the vertical fin unit 102 and the horizontal fin unit 103 can be operated by the common operation portions 104. That is, the open/close damper cannot be operated by the common operation portions 104. In the case of the air-conditioning register 100 described in Patent Document 2, it is therefore necessary to separately provide an operation portion for exclusive use of the open/close damper. Hence, according to the air-conditioning register 100 described in Patent Document 2, the number of parts is large. Further, the air-conditioning register 100 described in Patent Document 2 is complex in structure. Further, the cost of production of the air-conditioning register 100 described in Patent Document 2 is high.
Patent Document 1 has shown an air-conditioning register having common operation portions capable of operating a vertical fin unit and a horizontal fin unit respectively. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 or 3 has shown an air-conditioning register having common operation portions capable of operating a vertical fin unit and a horizontal fin unit simultaneously. According to the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 or 3, the wind direction of conditioned air can be adjusted vertically and horizontally at once, that is, obliquely. Hence, the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 or 3 is excellent in handling property.
According to the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 or 3, there are however used ball joints which are spherical joints for connecting members. The vertical fin unit and the horizontal fin unit are operated at once by the ball joints. A spherical surface of each of the ball joints requires high surface accuracy for obtaining a good handling feeling. Particularly, sphericity has large influence on the handling feeling. A ball joint high in surface accuracy, especially high in sphericity is expensive. Hence, the cost of production of the air-conditioning register described in Patent Document 2 or 3 is high.